Baseball's silly season: picking a commissioner

Rob Manfred was the only legitimate commissioner candidate of the three.

Rob Manfred was the only legitimate commissioner candidate of the three.

Photo: Reinhold Matay, Associated Press

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Johnny Manziel (2) should carry a clipboard initially if there's any doubt about his ability to start immediately. Taking the helm midseason could provide a needed jolt of energy for the franchise.

Johnny Manziel (2) should carry a clipboard initially if there's any doubt about his ability to start immediately. Taking the helm midseason could provide a needed jolt of energy for the franchise.

Photo: Duane Burleson, Associated Press

Baseball's silly season: picking a commissioner

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Losing all touch with reality, I spent recent months envisioning a baseball commissioner with Jon Hamm's presence, Bob Costas' sensibility and Joe Torre's experience. Perhaps a really dynamic woman could take charge of the game. Anyone who could step to a podium and consistently ignite the public's trust and enthusiasm.

What a sorry collection of daydreams.

Make no mistake, Major League Baseball has the right person in Rob Manfred, mostly because he was the only authentic candidate. All sorts of people could bring inspired leadership to the job, with an eye on significant change. Nobody wants to deal with the whims, buffoonery and personal agendas of baseball's 30 owners - and that, unfortunately, is the commissioner's primary task.

It was downright depressing to even consider the other two finalists for this job. Tom Werner, of the Red Sox's ownership group, was described by the Boston Globe's Dan Shaughnessy as "a nice guy, but he ran the San Diego Padres into the ground 20 years ago and nobody ever has been quite sure what he does for the Red Sox." Other sources pointed to Werner's habit of vanishing whenever sought for comment during a crisis.

Finalist No. 3, Tim Brosnan, is a real beauty. As executive vice president of MLB's business wing, he has presided over the comprehensive blackout policy that prevents fans around the country - particularly those in outlying areas - from watching baseball. Old "deny fans the product" Tim. Nice philosophy. Teams become obscenely wealthy from their local-TV contracts, but the public suffers under "territorial" restrictions that make no sense - and, thankfully, are being challenged in court.

Being commissioner means having to deal with people like Jerry Reinsdorf, the Chicago White Sox's belligerent owner who was willing to back anyone - it turned out to be the woefully miscast Werner - if it meant keeping Manfred out of office. Manfred, you see, was masterful in his role as an MLB labor negotiator, making sure the game avoided work stoppages and taking a hard line on drug testing. Reinsdorf is more about crushing the union and restoring the command ownership once held - the frightening brand of power that led to the cancellation of the 1994 World Series.

If you're looking for a light-hearted angle on this subject, call up "New Commissioner of Baseball Keith Olbermann" on Youtube. He has a dandy list of ways to improve the game, many of which Manfred should take seriously. Suggested top priority: Crack down on the dawdlers who repeatedly step out of the batter's box or take forever to deliver a pitch. That's your ticket to instant approval.

Fair play

What Manfred inherits: a landscape of magnificent parity. Money buys you nothing but fancy houses in this game. Solid contenders Baltimore, Oakland, Kansas City, Seattle, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and St. Louis all have payrolls under $120 million - as compared with the Dodgers' staggering $248 million. Only two teams have failed to make the postseason since 1994, and both of them (the Royals and Blue Jays) are in the hunt ... It's all very nice to savor the cool-looking matchups on the NBA schedule released this week, but here's what matters: inexcusable overcrowding. The Warriors face a back-to-back situation 19 times, and on four occasions - this is almost beyond belief - they'll play four games in five nights. Remember Gregg Popovich's tactic - having his San Antonio regulars sit out entire games to stay fresh? It's likely to become widespread while the fans lose out ... If Johnny Manziel is good enough to win the Cleveland Browns' quarterback job and start the entire season, fabulous. But if there's any doubt, go with the experienced man for the first few games. Manziel could represent an enormous jolt of energy taking the job in midseason, which would not be the case with Brian Hoyer or Rex Grossman ... Somebody hand Sonny Dykes just one break. The Cal head coach has lost capable linebacker Nathan Broussard for the second straight season with the same injury (torn ACL). But here's a flip side to the Bears' Aug. 30 opener: Northwestern running back Venric Mark has decided to transfer and senior Christian Jones, the team's leading receiver last year, is out for the season with a knee injury.

From reader Larry Mayers, a Stanford season-ticket holder: "We have three home games in a row (UC Davis, USC and Army) to start the season - all before classes begin. So the students have only three games to share at home all season." It's an odd Bay Area disparity, to be sure. Cal's fall semester begins next week. Stanford, on the quarter system, doesn't open the classrooms until Sept. 22 ... We knocked cupcake scheduling in a recent column, but Cal has lined up a home-and-home series with Texas (2015-16). Stanford has scheduled Northwestern (2015-16, 2019-22), while extending the Notre Dame series through 2017. Subject to change, of course ... Through all the concern about NBA players getting injured over the summer, the Sacramento Kings actually hope DeMarcus Cousins can continue playing for USA Basketball through his recent knee injury. He needs the experience of playing with the best, and his status can only help the Kings' marketing strategy ... Ground has been broken, incidentally, on the Kings' arena project. The old Downtown Plaza mall is being demolished to make room for the 17,500-seat arena, promised by Mayor Kevin Johnson to be "the coolest building in town."